A Post about Hair

I have so many recipes to share but I want to take a little break from food posts to talk about some other topics that are near and dear to my heart…like hair and skin care!

I am totally unqualified to give any advice in the hair/skin department. In fact I’m kind of a bozo when it comes to hair because I never blow dry, curl or straighten my hair and I don’t even own hairspray. But, I have hair and there are some products I absolutely swear by so I’m going to write about them!

Here are my favorite products!

First up is my newest obsession. I know this is kind of out there and it was a big splurge for me, but it is totally worth it, especially if you have long, dry, chemically treated hair like I do.

This T3 Showerhead Filter is incredible. I came across it while researching how to get the brassiness out of my hair. I would be happy with just not having my hair turn orange, so the fact that it makes my hair softer, shinier, less frizzy and a zillion times easier to brush is all just a bonus. Let’s make it weird: here’s a photo of me in my bathrobe and the back of my head-a couple hours after washing my hair and letting it air dry. Normally my hair turns into a poof ball as it dries. No more! PS I took this picture to send to my hair stylist so she could see the difference. She was convinced.

Read the reviews on this thing and you’ll be convinced. One girl said it cured her cystic acne! PS I am going to do a whole post on how I cured my acne (and it wasn’t because of this showerhead), just you wait!

Up next is my beloved Pureology Shampoo and Conditioner. I have been using this stuff since college which means I’ve been using it for 15 YEARS!! The purple shampoo is my favorite. I like the purple conditioner too but I’ve been liking the the blue, “Strength Cure” conditioner as well. Although now that I have this new showerhead the blue might be too moisturizing. I never thought I would say that! I know this stuff is pricey but a little goes a loooong way. I used to use less expensive brands but I ended up spending more money in the long run because I had to use so much product, especially conditioner.

I always buy this stuff on sale. Who am I kidding, I buy almost everything on sale. But for real, watch for Ulta to have a sale. They send out “20% off entire purchase” coupons from time to time and that is the time to stock up. It’s only available in store though. Locally, I also buy it at http://www.gotbeauty.com and they also occasionally have sales.

After I wash and brush my hair I apply 1 pump only of this Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid. This step is crucial to prevent my hair from getting too poofy. I’ve had my bottle for over a year and I’ve hardly made a dent in it. This is the only smoothing serum I’ve ever used that doesn’t make my hair feel greasy or weighed down.

I have tried (I’m not kidding) every dry shampoo on the market. Seriously, I’ve tried them all and I have very high standards so I consider myself quite an expert in this department. Someone should pay me to test dry shampoos. Oscar Blandi ‘Pronto’ Dry Shampoo is hands down the best. It’s a powder you sprinkle on right at your roots and then rub in like crazy/brush through. A little goes a long way so a bottle of this will last a really long time. I like the powder so much more than aerosols! Aerosol powders makes my hair dry, brittle and unbrushable. Yuk. With the Oscar Blandi powder I’m able to contain the grease at the root and still have the rest of my hair feel like my hair.

And last, this is the question I get the most about my hair: How do I make it wavy?

I gave up blow-drying, curling and flat ironing almost 2 years ago and my hair has gotten SO much healthier. I hardly ever get split ends now. And when I travel I don’t have to pack my blow dryer and flat iron! It’s been so liberating!

This is what I do: In the evening (around 8pm usually) I shampoo & condition my hair. After my shower I wrap it up in the towel even though they tell you not to. I’m such a rebel. I take the towel off and brush it with a paddle brush similar to this one. I apply 1 pump of the smoothing serum and work it around the ends of my hair, steering clear of the roots.

Then I leave it down for a couple hours as my hair dries. When my hair is starting to get dry, or when it’s time for bed, whichever comes first, I twist twist twist my hair up into a bun on top of my head. If I’m still up doing things I’ll lightly put a clamp or elastic around it to hold it in place. But if I’m just going to sleep, I coil it up there and just leave it and somehow-it stays-it’s magic. I guess I don’t move much in my sleep.

When I wake up I unravel it and voila, curly hair! Some days turn out better than others but it’s always better than having to take the time to blow dry & curl my hair.

So there you have it! Thanks for hanging in through this long post. I’m excited to write about my skin care regimen next!